AHS Media Campaign

World Canada

Published

Sorry no links.

There have been ads in print and on the radio stating how in Alberta only 31% of nurses work full time and that Albertans deserve better. More full time nurses for better care, yada, yada. How there will always be a place for part time nurses.

So, AHS, why does my request for an increase to my FTE always get turned down????

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Lol, and look at the job postings - most are for part time or casual lines (for both RN and LPN). UNA has commented on it AHS misleading Albertans on nurses work hours - UNA

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, PCVICU and peds oncology.

If you'll tolerate a link to the evil UNA website on your thread: AHS misleading Albertans on nurses work hours - UNA

On my unit 69% of our nurses work full time. 94% work at least 0.6 FTE. We have so much OT it's unreal. One of our full timer (male) nurses has worked more than 300 extra hours already this year. We could probably fully employ another 10 full time nurses and still have some short shifts.

Who decides what positions to post? Why... AHS, that's who! I just spent an hour looking at EVERY posting for nurses (RN or LPN) on the AHS website. There are 289 positions posted and they break down this: Regular Full Time = 52 Temporary Full Time = 23 Regular Part Time = 73 Temporary Part Time = 68 Casual = 73. For those who are into percentages, that means 74% of the positions posted are part time or casual and 18% are regular full time. (And for once there were NOT any positions posted for my unit.) Oh, there were also 2 postings for NPs that were regular full time and 5 manager positions, 2 regular full time, 2 temporary full time and one temporary part time. Now isn't that interesting??

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Jan, I don't mind the link. I do mind the comments on the FaceBook page for UNA. Some of their members seem to forget that there are many, many RNs still working who hold a diploma or even worse were hospital trained as RNs. That's another topic though.

All I know is that every time I request my point be increased, I get shot down by return email that "there's no money in the budget". Yet, they can hire and orient casuals on a monthly basis. Increase my point and cut back on the use of casuals. I thought that was what the workplace utilization was about. I regularly work over my point and would like to see it reflected in my benefits. I mean they are paying for the increase in vacation, sick time, etc when they pay me, so just increase my fte to reflect in my pension what I've worked.

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I've also heard this commercial on the radio a few times and I don't understand what AHS is up to...

If they really want to create more full time lines then why are they turning people who request it down? The same thing has happened with a friend of mine who keeps asking for an increase in FTE to full time, they keep turning her down.

I personally hate the idea and would much rather continue with my 0.74 FTE. I fact, if I could afford it I'd rather sometime along the lines of 0.5 FTE. I don't have children at the moment but my Fiancé and I are talking about starting a family soon and I can't imagine working full time with children at home. Part time lines are needed in a largely female dominated profession.

Also I don't understand what there prerogative is in this? How does more full time lines save them money? And if it does then why did they create so many part time lines in the first place?

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Also I fail to see how forcing already burnt out nurses to work full time is a benefit to Albertans...

Who wants a tired, overworked, burnt out nurse?

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Specializes in MPH Student Fall/14, Emergency, Research.

I heard the radio ad. They are very disparaging... the whole campaign is baffling! Unless it's to try and justify bringing on more NAs and HCAs in lieu of nurses...?

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The media campaign is PR paving the way for a planned "staffing optimization" in 2014. This is what I heard on a unit over the weekend, coming from a management source:

AHS has hired a private consulting firm to optimize staffing in 2014. This will happen not by increasing the FTEs of those who wish to work full time, but rather through lay offs and rehiring. They are aiming for 70% of nurses to be working full time at the end of the process. This means that nurses will have to compete with each other to get rehired for fewer lines. There will also be fewer nursing jobs overall because there will be replacements of nurses by NAs and HCAs during the process.

We can't know how it will play out exactly, but I think this is pretty accurate in terms of the plan at this point in time.

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The media campaign is PR paving the way for a planned "staffing optimization" in 2014. This is what I heard on a unit over the weekend, coming from a management source:

AHS has hired a private consulting firm to optimize staffing in 2014. This will happen not by increasing the FTEs of those who wish to work full time, but rather through lay offs and rehiring. They are aiming for 70% of nurses to be working full time at the end of the process. This means that nurses will have to compete with each other to get rehired for fewer lines. There will also be fewer nursing jobs overall because there will be replacements of nurses by NAs and HCAs during the process.

We can't know how it will play out exactly, but I think this is pretty accurate in terms of the plan at this point in time.

If they lay off RN/lpn, what's the criteria for laying off? Seniority?

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The media campaign is PR paving the way for a planned "staffing optimization" in 2014. This is what I heard on a unit over the weekend coming from a management source: AHS has hired a private consulting firm to optimize staffing in 2014. This will happen not by increasing the FTEs of those who wish to work full time, but rather through lay offs and rehiring. They are aiming for 70% of nurses to be working full time at the end of the process. This means that nurses will have to compete with each other to get rehired for fewer lines. There will also be fewer nursing jobs overall because there will be replacements of nurses by NAs and HCAs during the process. We can't know how it will play out exactly, but I think this is pretty accurate in terms of the plan at this point in time.[/quote']

Wow! This is really scary news!

Not looking forward to this at all and I'm already getting fed up with nursing as it is. Frankly I wouldn't want to be a full time nurse. There is no way I could not keep from burning out at that rate. Any idea what will happen with casuals? Do you think they will keep them around? Cause I'd honestly rather go casual if the only other option is full time.

This is all extremely worrisome...

Where did you get this information?

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I didn't hear anything about how lay offs will work. UNA has recently been making reference to AHS lawyers suppressing information about planned lay offs -- this is likely what they are referring to.

I got this information from the charge nurse when I went to work yesterday. He got it directly from the unit manager.

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